


Ella Murray And The Maledictus Curse

by Northern_Lady



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne & Rowling, Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery (Video Game)
Genre: Adventure, Blood Curse, Child character centric, Draco and Astoria slow burn, Grudges, Hogwarts, Hufflepuff, School, Secrets, Squibs, eventual romance but no smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-24
Updated: 2019-12-12
Packaged: 2020-10-27 18:56:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,595
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20765315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Northern_Lady/pseuds/Northern_Lady
Summary: Ella Murray is the daughter of the strangest parents in the neighborhood. She just wants to be normal and not live at the haunted house and not be required to keep so many secrets. Then a letter comes inviting her to Hogwarts and everything changes.Takes place in what would have been Hermoine and Draco's seventh year. In this year Hogwarts has some new Professors including Newt Scamander. Though this story is original character centric, it is also a Draco Malfoy story.





	1. Chapter 1

Mr. and Mrs. Murray of twenty two Seaside Drive were not at all normal and had no idea that this was the case. Everyone expected that they were involved in something very strange and mysterious and people in the neighborhood gave them very strange looks each time they passed by. Mr. and Mrs. Murray were entirely unaware that people saw them this way. 

Mr Murray was the owner of a company that made typewriters. In his day he had been very wealthy but as typewriters were no longer selling so well, his once wealthy estate was nearly impoverished. Mr Murray was a lean and tall older man with graying hair. Mrs Murray was half his age and beautiful with nut brown hair. She had long delicate fingers which she used to make the most unique and original halloween decorations anyone had ever seen and hung them for display all over their grounds. The Murrays had one daughter called Ella and in their opinion she was quite ordinary though they agreed that she was alright as far as daughters went. 

The Murrays no longer had everything they wanted. They were living off of savings from years ago and worse than that, they were keeping secrets. Mr. and Mrs. Murray were keeping secrets from each other and from their daughter and their daughter kept secrets from them. They all feared that they would somehow reveal their secrets to each other. Mr Murray didn’t want his wife or daughter to know that he had come from a special family but that he himself did not share their special abilities. Mrs. Murray didn’t want Mr Murray or Ella to know that she’d had the most unusual childhood and had special abilities of her own. And Ella didn’t want her parents to know that sometimes she wasn’t herself at all. 

When Mr and Mrs Murray woke up that sunny Monday morning the day our story starts, there was nothing about the lovely weather to suggest that all of their secrets were about to be exposed. Mr Murray drank his tea in usual stoic silence and Mrs Murray continued her knitting of yet another ghost doll. Mrs Murray worked on her project happily content that Ella was still asleep in her bed. 

Neither of them noticed the small red fox that scurried past the kitchen window. 

At half past nine Mr. Murray got to his feet to head off to the manor library. He did not kiss his wife goodbye or even speak a word to her. Such affection was not the manner of their relationship. He did not stop by Ella’s room to say good morning. He went straight for the library and took his favorite chair in the window. 

A half an hour passed before Mr. Murray noticed anything was amiss. In the distance a small red fox ran across the open field. Mr Murray put down his book momentarily to watch the creature duck for cover under a tree. He resumed his book. The sound of hounds distracted him long enough to look up and see horses and riders in red coats rushing across the neighbor’s estate. He despised fox hunts. The abominable practice shouldn’t be legal. Even so there was little he could do to stop it and so he resumed his book. 

It wasn’t until the fox left the shelter beneath the tree and ran straight towards his own manor that Mr Murray realized something was truly amiss. A fox shouldn’t be seeking a human residence as shelter. He set the book aside and got to his feet, leaning on the window sill to watch, a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. 

“Jeremiah?” His wife’s voice in the doorway of the library interrupted his agony at the scene before him. 

“Later Sophia,” he waved her aside without even looking at her. “Something is wrong out there.” 

“Something is wrong in here!” she replied, anger and worry in her tone. It was unlike Sophie to have strong emotional reactions to anything. “Ella isn’t in her bed.” 

“What?” Jeremiah gripped his cane as he turned to face his wife. Sophia’s face was pale and panic stricken. He had never seen her afraid before. “I know where she is,” he said, barely able to hold his own weight enough to remain standing due to the great horror he felt. 

“Where is she?” Sophie asked, confused and worried. 

“Out there…” he said, gazing at the little fox who ran for its life towards their manor.

“What do you mean, she’s out there?” Sophie didn’t understand and didn’t believe him. 

Jeremiah didn’t have time to explain it to her. He made his way to the side door of the house as fast as his weary legs and cane could bring him there. 

“Where is she? What did you mean she’s out there?” Sophia called after him as she followed him out the door. 

The horses had stopped in the distance, their riders knowing better than to cross onto his land but the hounds were not yet reined in. The little fox was still three hundred yards away with a number of hounds close on her tail. She was terrified and Jeremiah didn’t wait fer her to come to him. He headed off into the field in her direction. 

“Where are you going Jeremiah? Where is our daughter?” 

He couldn’t answer her. She would never believe it even if he did explain it. No one would unless they had been raised as he had, unless they had seen the things that he had seen. All he could do was try to save her and if he could do that, he could show her the truth for himself. Anything less was a lost cause. 

Jeremiah met the fox in the field as she fled the hounds. As he expected the poor creature jumped right into his arms. He shouted at the hounds to back off and being well trained beasts they did and turned and ran back to their masters. He carried the frightened fox back to his wife who stood watching the whole affair with her arms crossed. 

“What is the meaning of this?” Sophia asked. “Where is Ella?” 

“This,” he said placing the fox on the ground, “Is Ella.” 

Sophie was about to argue with him but stopped when the fox began to change form. She changed from being a fox into the form of a three year old human girl with freckles and nut brown hair. 

“I don’t expect you to believe in such things, but a long time ago I was cursed,” Jeremiah explained. “A blood curse. I and all my children can take the form of a fox and someday we will not be able to become human again.” 

Sophie looked to be both angered and shocked. “Obviously I have to believe it. I just saw it with my own eyes.” She picked up the child from the ground and hugged her. “Why would you keep this from me?” 

“For the same reason you keep your secrets from me. I know you have them, I just don’t know what they are.” 

“Nor will you,” Sophie said, and she spun on her heel and carried Sophie back into the manor. 

***

Nearly nine years had passed since the day when Jeremiah Murray had revealed that he was cursed. The Murrays did not talk about that day. They did not talk about the changes that two of them were able to undergo. They did not about the secrets that Mrs Murray held and they did not talk about the curse. The Murray Manor had hardly changed at all. It was still a large stately two hundred year old house decorated with various ghosts and ghouls year round. Only the addition of numerous more ghastly decoration showed how much time had truly passed. 

The only other changes in the house were in Ella’s room. The room no longer held baby toys but instead held books, bright colored clothes, and an easy bake oven packed away in her closet somewhere. Ella loved to read fanciful tales as much as she loved to wear happy colors and more than that she loved to bake. 

“Wake up Ella,” her mother opened the curtains and let the sunlight stream in. “It’s time for school.” 

Ella let out a groan. “Do I have to go to school?” 

“Yes,” her mother said simply. “I won’t have you grow up to be stupid.” It was the same answer she always gave and she left Ella to let her get dressed. 

“Yeah, but you don’t care if I grow up to be weird,” Ella muttered as she threw back the covers and got out of bed. 

Ella went downstairs for breakfast with her parents in the big formal dining room. Her father drank a cup of tea with his toast and scrambled eggs while mother had orange juice and oatmeal. Ella sat at the far end of the overly large table to her own plate with a muffin, yogurt, and two slices of bacon. It felt so empty to her in the huge dining room. The table had space to seat sixteen people and her parents never had guests. She wasn’t sure her parents had any friends to be guests anyway. They certainly weren’t friends with each other. They always spoke so formally and politely that Ella knew it wasn’t genuine. There was no love. Not like in the movies. 

“I had the strangest dream last night,” Ella spoke up from her side of the room, making another attempt to fill the unending silence of her home. “I was out in this field and there was this bird. It was so fast and I ran to get a better look at it and-” 

“That was not a dream,” her father cut short her words. “Sometimes such incidents seem like dreams but they are not. We are not to speak of that, remember?” 

Ella felt herself grow red with embarrassment. She hadn’t realized that her dream wasn’t truly a dream. Sometimes it was difficult to tell the difference. Mother was picking at her oatmeal with her spoon, Ella looked down at her food. She had disappointed her parents yet again. They didn’t want her to talk about how she was different and yet they were the strangest people in the whole neighborhood. The Murrays were freaks. Ella hated her life and hated the idea of returning to school and being reminded of it over and over again. 

Ella grabbed her school bag and shouldered it over her dark green school uniform. She wished she could wear her favorite yellow shirt and floral leggings but that wasn’t going to happen. 

From the moment she arrived on the school grounds the trouble began. Ella was minding her own business walking to class when Fiona and Hilary wandered by and muttered, “Freak.” 

Ella ignored them. She always ignored them. When they called her a freak, she said nothing. When they scattered away from “Haunted Girl” everytime she approached and they pretended to be afraid of her before breaking out laughing, she pretended it didn’t bother her. When they made excuses not to be partnered with her in projects and they stole her books and made a point of spilling lunches on her homework, she once again did nothing. It wasn’t that she wasn’t angry or that she was too much a coward to fight back. It was simply that they were right. She was a freak. Her house did look haunted. Why fight the truth? 

On this day when Fiona and Hilary called her a freak, something happened, something she hadn’t expected. The water bottles that the two bullies carried suddenly exploded, shooting water into both of their faces. Ella stopped short at the sight of the screaming girls, their hair now a mess, their faces wet. She had no idea how this had happened but it had to be a coinicidence, didn’t it? 

The day wore on and before it was over Fiona and Hilary slipped up behind Ella and poured a carton of milk over her head. By the time she got home she her eyes were red rimmed from crying and her clothes and hair smelled of sour milk. 

As Ella came through the front door she found a pile of mail on the welcome mat. She picked it up to bring to her father in the library and slowly rifled through the letters as she walked and stopped when she saw that one of the letters was addressed to her. She never got mail. This was certainly odd. Ella set the stack of mail aside on a nearby table in the hall and began to open her own letter. 

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Headmistress Minerva McGonagall

Dear Ms Murray, We are pleased to inform you that you are accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. 

Ella scanned through the rest of the letter detailing the dates and supplies. She read it three times. There couldn’t really be a school for Wizards could there? But then, she shouldn’t be able to have such strange dreams. And the thing with the water at school today, what had that been? 

Her father emerged from the library and crossed to her slowly. He was becoming more feeble in his own age. “What’s in the mail?” he asked as he reached her. 

“I got this,” she passed it to him, confused as ever. 

Her father looked over the fancy letter with it’s thick paper and perfect manuscript. “So it came,” he said with a sigh. “I always wanted one of these.” 

“What is it?” 

“What is what?” her mother said, on her way out of the dining room. 

Jeremiah passed the letter to Sophia. She grew pale and silent on reading it. “Jeremiah, there’s something I have to tell you.”


	2. Chapter 2

***

It had been thirty years since Minerva McGonagall had been to New York City and it surprised her to find that it smelled the same. It smelled like cars and fast food and dust. She didn’t like it. Minerva had never felt at home in cities and American cities felt even stranger to her. Even so, she needed to be here. This was too important not to come in person. 

Minerva made her way up the walkway to the townhouse and knocked firmly on the front door. She heard sounds of someone, or likely something, scurrying about inside the house. Then all fell silent. Minerva knocked a second time. Footsteps trudged to the door. The door opened just a crack as the person inside peeked out. 

“Professor?” The door opened wide and Newt Scamander stood there looking pleased and confused and shy all at once. He carried a cane and his hair was now white but as wild and askew as it ever was. Though he had aged, he looked much the same as the schoolboy she remembered. “What are you doing all the way in New York?” Newt asked her a hint of a smile on his face. 

“I thought the time was finally right,” she said, pulling her large black hat from off her head. “To come and see you about a job.” 

“Well I...I don’t think…” Newt stammered. 

“We don’t have to talk about it yet,” Minerva indicated with a wave of her hand. “First, I would like to see this Bowtruckle you wrote about in your last letter.” 

“Of course. Come in. Tina is out but I have tea. I have some cookies and scones I think too, and a ham leftover from supper but I don’t suppose you’ll want that.” he said, back into the house so she could follow. 

It was easy to see once she was inside the house, which areas were most frequented by Newt. Some rooms had cages and tanks set up for wildlife as well as stacks of books and papers. Other rooms that they passed on the way to the kitchen were more orderly and traditional. 

Newt brought Minerva to the kitchen and set out a tea service as well as several snacks. He took a bowtruckle from the pocket of his jacket and placed the plantlike creature on the table between them. 

“This isn’t the one I mentioned in my letter. He’s long gone,” Newt said sadly. “But I always keep a bowtruckle in my pocket all the same. I feel lonely without one.” 

“Our gamekeeper Hagrid seems to share your sentiment for keeping creatures in his pockets. He always reminded me of you in his own way.” 

“Why isn’t he still teaching Care of Magical Creatures? That is what this is about, isn’t it?” Newt asked uncomfortably. 

“It’s only been two months since the war. None of us are really ready to teach again. Not after what Voldemort did to our people and our school. The Death Eaters needlessly killed a number of Hagrid’s pets. He declared he would never teach again and I can’t say that I blame him.” 

“I haven’t been back to Hogwarts in forty years. I welcome your company Professor but I’m not sure there’s anything you can say that would induce me to go back there.” 

“It’s not just you that I’m offering a position to,” Minerva explained. “I thought your wife might like to take Defense Against the Dark Arts.” 

Newt let out a breath. “Of course she would. She would love it. That’s hardly fair.” 

“Newt,” Minerva said gently. “You’ve taught Creature Care at Ilvermony. I never fully understood your reasons for refusing to teach at Hogwarts but I know that they had something to do with Albus. Whatever your reasons, I do believe he cared for you in his own way.” 

Newt shook his head sadly. “He used me to carry out a war that he refused to fight. My brother and Lita and my sister in law…” Newt was too emotional to finish the thought. “It didn’t have to happen that way. That’s why I couldn’t teach at his school.” 

“Well it isn’t Albus’ school. I’m not sure it ever was. I am headmistress now. Someone needs to teach our children about magical creatures and give them some hope after everything we’ve suffered. And someone needs to head Hufflepuff House.” 

“Head Hufflepuff?” Newt looked a little overwhelmed at the idea. “I don’t know that I’m meant to lead a House.” 

“Stop with all your humility, will you? How many copies of your book have you sold? You’re an expert in your field and wizarding children everywhere know your name. If anyone was meant to lead Hufflepuff House it’s you.” 

“I suppose I could show a few children the secret tunnel to the kitchens.” he shrugged. 

“So you’ll accept?” 

“That depends on Tina. If Tina will accept then of course I will.” 

***

Ella felt like she could hardly breathe. She sat at the end of her sixteen person dinning table while her parents openly argued across the room. She had never seen them fight. There had always been the artificial niceness between them. And now they were shouting and mother had even thrown a book. It didn’t make any sense. Father had been born to a family of wizards but couldn’t do any magic and mother was a witch but had been keeping it secret? 

“Why would you pretend to be a muggle?” Sophia screamed at Jeremiah. 

“Why would you?” he said, angry but calmer than she was. “I’m a squib. I have every reason to try and fit in with muggles. You gave up magic, and for what?” 

“For money,” she spat the words at him. “Money that you don’t even have anymore. Why else would I marry a man twice my age. Certainly not for love.” 

“No. There’s no love here. I suppose you used a charm to convince me to marry you. I can’t see why I would have done it otherwise.” 

The argument raged on and on. Ella learned enough to know that this invitation to a school for Wizardry was real. Her mother had been there and apparently her father’s sister and brother had attended as well. 

“I wouldn’t have needed to use a charm if you had been honest about your blood curse.That’s why you were determined not to marry isn’t it?” Sophia asked but didn’t wait for his reply. “What do you do anyway to get yourself cursed?” 

Jeremiah let out a sigh and sunk into the nearest dining chair, too exhausted from the effort of standing and arguing. “I served Grindlewald and I betrayed him.” 

“You did what?” Sophia gasped. 

“Who is Grindlewald?” Ella asked from her end of the table, the first question she had voiced since the argument began. 

“He was a dark wizard, a very powerful dark wizard,” Jeremiah explained. “I was a boy of twelve years of age and had just seen my sister off to Hogwarts. I thought if I served him well enough he could grant me magic. Three years went by of my tending his every need, running every errand, carrying every message, and I realized her was never going to help me. So I tried to turn him over to the Aurors. I failed in my attempt and he assigned Vina Rosier, his most loyal follower to curse me.” 

“What made you think he would help you?” Sophia asked, disgusted. 

“He was very kind to me, as he was to anyone that he hoped to recruit to follow him. Just as you were very kind to me when you recruited me into marriage for my money.” 

With that the argument renewed. Ella got up from the table and slipped back to her room, comforted by the fact that in a few more weeks she would be free of torment of Hilary and Fiona. She would be free of this huge creepy house and her parents with their artificial smiles. And maybe this school of Wizardry would have the means to end her blood curse


	3. Chapter 3

Malfoy Manor was not at all derelict like Murray Manor. It had some minor damage as a result of activity during the war but overall it was in decent shape. The same could not be said for its occupants. Of the three Narcissa was in the best state of mind. Her son and husband had survived the war as had their home and their wealth. Little else mattered to her. Lucious was not taking the end of the war nearly so well. He had been on the losing side after all and had abandoned that side at the last moment just to survive. He felt that his reputation had been ruined and he could not set foot in his old circles of friends ever again. 

Draco was aware of his parents states of mine as he sat down to join them for dinner one summer evening on the night before he was to return to Hogwarts. He ate half his meal before he found the courage to ask the question that had been keeping him awake at night all summer. 

“Do I really have to go back to school?” He finally said, breaking into the near silence in the dining room. The only sounds this far has been the clink of the silverware. 

His father put down his fork and glared at him. Narcissa gazed at him with concern. “Of Draco. I understand you might be worried but it’s important to complete your education.” 

“Why can’t I transfer to Durmstrang? I could complete my education there.” Draco suggested in spite of knowing it was too late to make any such transfer. 

“You’d need to have decent grades to get into Durmstrang,” Luscius replied with irritation. 

“My grades aren’t so bad,” Draco countered. “I just don’t think going back to Hogwarts is such a good idea.” 

“Potter isn’t going to be there so there’s nothing to be afraid of,” his father said. “Besides, I need you to return to school and prove to everyone that we aren’t broken by our loss. Can you do that?” 

“Yes Father,” Draco agreed but he wasn’t sure at all that he actually could do it. 

The following morning found him at platform nine and three quarters. He saw plenty of familiar faces but most of them pretended they hadn’t seen him. Only Luna Lovegood met his gaze for just a moment but she did not leave her father’s side to greet him. She turned away. His old Slytherin friends did the same. 

Draco boarded the Hogwarts Express and had a difficult time finding a place to sit. He found a car where Hermoine Granger sat with Luna Lovegood and Granger glared at him. Draco continued past to car full of third years who looked at him like he had three heads. Next he came to some Slytherin students from his own year. He reached for the handle of the door to open it and a tomato hit the glass door, followed by a banana, then laughter. Most of the cars he passed had similar responses. Eventually he found a car with three first year students inside. He needed a place to sit and the stupid sniveling first years weren’t going to stop him. Draco entered the car where a brown haired freckled girl sat across from a thin red haired boy and another girl, blonde and slightly chubby. The children were giggling as he opened the door but their laughter stopped as he entered. 

“I’m sitting on this side,” he told the brown haired girl. “You can move over there with your friends.” 

The girl did as he asked without question, probably to frightened by being bossed around by an older student to even consider saying no. Draco tossed his bag down and stretched out across the bench, determined to nap for the entire duration of the trip. He blocked out the conversation of the children and had very nearly fallen asleep when the sound of weeping startled him awake. He half opened one eye to find that the chubby blonde girl was crying. 

“It’s alright Amy, it won’t be so bad,” the brown haired girl said, holding her hand. 

“How do you know?” Any sobbed. “You said you never even heard of Hogwarts until three months ago.” 

“I didn’t but my mother went there. She said it’s a good place. We get to learn magic and our parents won’t be bothering us to take out the trash and clean our rooms. How can that be bad?” The brown haired girl continued. 

“You don’t understand. My mother said she’ll never forgive me if I don’t get sorted into Ravenclaw but I don’t think I am a Ravenclaw.” 

“There are a lot of things your parents won’t forgive you for kid. You get used to it,” Draco spoke up. 

“Who are you anyway?” The red haired boy asked. 

“I’m Draco Malfoy,” he sat up and reached across the car to shake their hands, deciding in that moment that he couldn’t afford to have any more people hate him, not even a bunch of first years. Maybe they came from important families. 

“Finn Prewett,” the boy said. “This is Amy McLaggen and Ella Murray.” 

Draco recognized two of those surnames. The McLaggens were big in the Ministry and Prewett was one of the Sacred twenty eight. Murray was just a common name though, probably a muggleborn except that Ella had said her mother attended Hogwarts. 

“Ravenclaw isn’t that big of deal,” Draco told Amy. “The sorting hat lets you have a little say in it anyways. I wouldn’t worry about it if I were you.” 

“What house are you in?” Amy asked almost shyly. “Your name is Malfoy, are you in Slytherin?” 

“I am. Does that scare you?” 

“No,” she said quickly but her large eyes betrayed her. She was indeed frightened of the older Slytherin student. 

“It does too scare you,” he argued. 

“Well… did you fight for Voldemort?” Amy asked warily. 

Draco thought about his words a moment. He could easily frighten these kids further by telling him he was a death eater or he could try to impress them with heroics claiming he defected. He wasn’t sure why he cared to do either one. He pulled up his sleeve. 

“I have the dark mark. My family was among the death eaters but in the end I failed him. We walked away because it was safer.” 

“What is a death eater?” Ella asked. 

Her two friends let their jaws drop. “I thought you said your mother was a witch? She didn’t tell you about death eaters?” Amy asked. 

“My mother didn’t talk about witchcraft. I didn’t even know she was a witch until I got my invitation to school.” 

“You’re a halfblood?” Draco asked, irritated with his choice of a train car. 

“I’m not sure what that means. My mother was a witch and my father’s family were wizards but he couldn’t do any magic,” Ella explained. 

“Your father is a squib,” Draco stated. “At least you’re not a muggleborn.” 

“I’m hungry,” Finn changed the subject as he looked rather uncomfortable with Draco’s talk of blood status. “Isn’t there supposed to be a food cart?” 

“It will come around,” Draco told him. “It always does.” 

“Won’t do me any good if I die of starvation before then.” 

“You won’t die,” Amy argued with him gently. “Besides, I have snacks.” 

Amy opened her bag and took out an assortment of home made snacks. She passed them out to her new friends and then shyly offered one to Draco as well. He couldn’t help but wonder if she only offered because she was afraid of him. He accepted her offer without a word, ate it in three bites, and then lay back down to nap for the rest of the trip as he had originally planned. 

Draco awoke sometime later to the sounds of his first year companions giggling yet again. The car now had wrappers from various candies strewn about and the children were looking at a collection of trading cards. 

“That’s Harry Potter,” Amy was saying of the card she held in her hand. “I always thought he’d be more handsome.” 

Potter had his own trading card? Draco sat up and swiped the card out of her hand. “Potter is an imbecile.” 

“Well that was rude,” Finn spoke up. “She shared her food with you and you just take her trading card?” 

“I’m not stealing it.” Draco passed it back to her. “I don’t want a Potter card anyways.” 

He lay back down in his seat. It was going to be a long school year


	4. Chapter 4

The Great Hall of Hogwarts was the most beautiful place Ella had ever seen. All the floating candles and tables spread with food and all the students dressed in robes were just overwhelming. Ella had her own robes and books and supplies. Both her parents had brought her shopping to get them. Neither of her parents had been happy with the experience. Her father still held bitterness at his inability to practice magic. Being back in Diagon Alley and seeing all the magic around him made him uncomfortable and angry. Mother had been equally uncomfortable but for different reasons entirely. Apparently her family had been killed during the first war with Voldemort and Mother had decided to leave Wizardry behind forever. She hadn’t wanted to come back to Diagon Alley. Not ever. And yet both of her parents had accompanied her to purchase her supplies and revealed more about their past in one day than they had in all Ella’s life. 

Ella entered Hogwarts in a long line of first year students. She had placed herself between her new friends Finn and Amy. She was aware that it would soon be time for the Sorting Hat. Mother had told her about that too, as had her new friends. Ella worried that she would be sorted into a different house than Finn and Amy. Before the ceremony could begin, an older lady with a tall witch’s hat stood up at the far end of the hall. 

“Boys and Girls,” the older witch called out and the hall fell silent. “Boys and Girls, I want to welcome you to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I am Minerva McGonagall, and I will be serving as Headmistress this year. I know that this year and the last few years there has been a lot of uncertainty about the future of this school. I want to tell you that Hogwarts has made some changes on the grounds and added new charms for the safety of our students. We have also added three new teachers to the staff. Our former teacher of Herbology and head of Hufflepuff House, Pomona Sprout has chosen to retire. Filling her class, Hogwarts is pleased to welcome Felix Rosier as the new Professor of Herbology.” 

The room broke into a polite round of applause as a middle aged man stood to his feet on the raised platform where the Headmistress stood and the other staff sat at a long table. 

Ella recognized the name Rosier from her father’s stories and she felt a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach as the rest of the students congratulated him. 

“We are also pleased to welcome a new teacher in the Defense Against the Dark Arts,” Minerva continued. “Pompetina Scamander. She was a former Defense teacher at Ilvermony for ten years and we look forward to welcoming her here.” 

The woman who stood up at the table had long graying black hair which she had pulled into a long braid and hung over her shoulder. Ella could hear whispers around her during the applause. Someone asked why they had brought in an American teacher and the reply was that they couldn’t let a Slytherin do it. 

“And last but certainly not least, we have a new staff member who will be teaching Care of Magical Creatures as well as become Head of Hufflepuff House. This is Professor Newton Scamander,” Minerva announced. “He was a teacher at Ilvermony in recent years but prior to that he was the author of our textbook, Magical Beasts and Where to Find Them.” 

The older man who stood up was lean and wore a blue suit with a brown vest. His hair was white and very much askew and he leaned on a crooked cane. Ella thought he appeared to be uncomfortable with all the applause. 

The Headmistress went over a few more announcements. A song was sung and then the sorting hat was brought out. The hat sang a song as well and then one by one it called the first year students up for sorting. Among her group of new friends, Amy was the first to be called forward. 

“It will be alright,” Finn told her. 

Amy went forward and sat on the stool at the end of the hall. The headmistress placed the hat on her head. The hat hardly waited two seconds before calling out, “Hufflepuff!” 

To the surprise of everyone present, the newly sorted Hufflepuff girl burst into tears. “Can we try again?” she asked McGonagall. “I thought the hat would give us a choice…” 

“Well sometimes the hat does take your preferences into account,” Minerva said gently. “But if you were placed in Hufflepuff, it must be because that is where your heart is.” 

Amy thought about the headmistress words for only a few seconds before nodding her agreement. “I suppose it is.” she got up from the school and went down the platform to join Hufflepuff table. Professor Scamander had moved to sit there and welcome the new first years. As Amy took her seat he gave her a handkerchief from his pocket to dry her tears. From another pocket he took a small plantlike creature and placed it in her hands. Ella couldn’t hear what he said to her but whatever it was, her new friend smiled. 

Ella was soon called forward for her own turned with the sorting hat. She knew she wasn’t a Ravenclaw but beyond that she had no clue what House the hat would place her in. She sat down on the stool and looked over the many faces of the students gathered here and wondered for a moment if perhaps here she had finally found a place to belong. Just as the hat had done with Amy, when placed on her head the hat quickly called out, “Hufflepuff!” 

Ella went and joined Amy at the Hufflepuff table. “What is that?” she whispered on seeing the leafy creature that Amy held. 

“Professor Scamander said it’s called a Bowtruckle. He says I can carry him for now.” Amy smiled. 

They waited for the hat to call forward Finn Prewett and were not disappointed when he too was sorted into Hufflepuff. After the feast and ceremony had ended, Professor Scamander led his students out of the hall, and near the kitchens to the entrance of the Hufflepuff dormitory. There was a password to enter, the punchline of a joke. Once inside Ella could hardly imagine trying to sleep that night. There were simply too many things to say to ever think about sleeping


	5. Chapter 5

The first night back in Slytherin rooms Pansy Parkinson came to Draco the moment he stepped into the common room. 

“We took a vote,” she told him. “Don’t talk to us and don’t sit with us. We aren’t your friends anymore.” 

“Who exactly took a vote?” Draco asked. He had expected something like this would happen. He truly had but he hadn’t expected it to hurt quite this much when it did. 

“All of us who are redoing this year. Me, Crabb, Goyle, Milicent, Daphne...all of us. Stay away.” 

“Fine. I don’t need you anyway,” Draco told them and he headed across the common room to sit in a corner alone. He sat in a chair near the fireplace and took out one of his textbooks for study. 

Everyone hated him. The former death eaters thought him a coward and those who had fought against Voldemort hated him for waiting so long to take a side. There were no friends left to talk to this year and though he might be okay with being friendless, he was not okay with being hated and thought a coward. Draco pulled the book up in front of his face just to hide the fact that he might start crying. He didn’t, but he thought he might and the book stayed in place just in case. 

He tried to go to bed at a reasonable hour but sleep would not come to him. After everyone was asleep Draco left his bed and went out to wander the halls. He wasn’t worried about Filch finding him. He knew how to hide from the old squib. He just needed to get away from the Slytherin rooms. He felt suffocated in there. 

Draco had been walking a long while when he saw a shadow move ahead of him. He illuminated his wand for a closer look. “Is that a fox?” he said aloud rather absently. 

Whatever it was it was definitely an animal. Draco followed more closely. Maybe, if he could discover what sort of creature was wandering about the castle, he could inform Professor Scamander and gain an ally. Draco needed allies. This seemed to be the only way to get one. 

Draco rounded the corner ahead and caught sight of the small creature again. On closer inspection it did seem to be a fox but Draco couldn’t imagine why a fox would be wandering around the school unless it were an animagus. He aimed his wand and tried a reversal spell to make the animagus change back to human form. Nothing happened. Draco was sure he knew this spell correctly. If hadn’t worked then it had to be because this fox was something other than an animagus. The fox caught sight of him and scurried into a nearby open classroom. Draco followed it into the room cautiously as the small creature ran to hide under a desk. Draco closed the door to the classroom behind him. He had to catch this fox or whatever sort of magical beast it was. He had little other hope of finding any friends or getting his life in order. 

It took a good ten minutes of running around the classroom, diving under desks and darting into corners before Draco finally caught the little fox. He hugged it firmly against himself to prevent escape and carried it all the way to Hufflepuff house. He had been on a date with a Hufflepuff girl back in fifth year and he knew how to find the entrance. The password was easy, just some dumb joke. Once inside he made his way to Scamander’s room and knocked. 

It was Mrs Scamander who opened the door. She wore a housecoat and looked sleepy and confused. 

“I am sorry to wake you at this hour ma’am, “ Draco began, “But I found this fox wandering about the castle and it seemed strange that it should be here at all so I thought our Care of Magical Creatures Professor ought to know about it.” 

“Newt?” the older lady called out.

Moments later Newt appeared wearing a long white nightshirt and nightcap. “What do we have here?” Newt came forward and took the fox from Draco. Tina turned and went back to bed. 

“I don’t know. I found it wandering around near the library. Seemed strange to me.” Draco explained. 

“It is strange,” Newt said, placing the fox on the nearest table and looking it over. He spoke the spell to change it back from an animagus to a human. Nothing happened. 

“I tried that,” Draco said. “It didn’t work.” 

“Obviously not,” Newt said, perturbed. “I didn’t get your name?” 

“Draco. Draco Malfoy.” 

“Oh,” Newt said, looking up from the care of the fox to meet his eyes. Draco expected to find judgement there but he found only pity. Newt said nothing more, his attention turned to the fox again. He checked its fur and teeth and cast a couple of spells Draco was not familiar with before going to a small cupboard and taking out a strawberry tart. He placed it on the table in front of the fox. “I don’t think ordinary foxes like strawberry tarts, do you?” 

“I wouldn’t think so sir,” Draco said, watching with fascination as the fox bent down and ate the tart anyhow. 

“And yet this fox likes them quite well,” Newt said. “I don’t think this is a fox at all.” 

“It’s not an animagus either, so what is it sir?” Draco asked. 

“A maledictus,” Newt said, a little sad at the prospect. “Some unfortunate student is the bearer of a blood curse that transforms them into a fox.” 

“Well, how do we change them back?” Draco asked, curious. 

“Most likely we don’t. If she can still change back on their own, then I imagine she will, once she is no longer frightened.”

“So that’s what the tart was for, to see if there was a human in there.” 

“The tart was keep her from being frightened,” Newt said with a small smile. “What do you think little fox? You ready to show us who you really are?” 

Draco watched with amazement as the little fox on the table took the form of a human girl, a girl he recognized. “Ella Murray?” 

“It’s me,” she said a little sheepishly. 

“I think you know that you shouldn’t be wandering about the castle at this hour, even as a fox,” Newt chided. 

“I know sir, but sometimes I change in my sleep and I didn’t want the other kids to see,” Ella gave as explanation. “I’m sorry.” 

Newt shook his head. “You needn’t be sorry. If it happens again, come and see me. I’ll find a tart or something relaxing for you so you can change back. But don’t go wandering around the castle or the grounds. It isn’t safe for foxes.” 

“I won’t sir,” Ella agreed. 

“Good, then you should get back to bed,” Newt told her. 

“I’ll see that she gets there,” Draco offered and moved to follow her before Professor Scamander thought to reprimand him for being out of bed himself. 

“Draco?” Newt called after him. Draco stopped, waiting for the inevitable scolding. “Thank you for bringing her here. Even if she had only been a fox, you did the right thing.” 

Draco went back to bed feeling a sense of relief that he could not explain or define


	6. Chapter 6

Ella spent the first three periods of her first day of classes in such complete awe of witchcraft that she entirely forgot to worry about fourth period. When it came time for Herbology at fourth period she suddenly remembered who the teacher was and was worrying over it so much that her new friends noticed her anxiety. 

“Are you alright?” Amy asked as they walked from Potions to Herbology. “You seem really worried.” 

“I’m okay I think,” Ella said, trying to convince herself of it. 

“You sound like my Mum does when she tries to tell Dad that she didn’t go shopping for shoes all day, just to the grocer,” Finn said. 

“She does sound worried,” Amy agreed. “We can’t help if you won’t tell us what’s wrong.” 

“Well,” Ellla began, “My father knew someone with the name of Rosier. They were not friends, more like enemies. Do you know anything about our Professor?” 

“Only that they are purebloods and Slytherins and they have money,” Finn said. “But just cause one of them didn’t get along with your Dad doesn’t mean they’ll have any problem with you.” 

“I hope you’re right,” Ella said hopefully. 

The three friends entered the greenhouse along with the other first year students and found their Professor waiting for them with a box full of gardening equipment. 

“Enter students,” Professor Rosier was saying with a dull bored air, as he passed out gloves to each student as they went past him. “Hurry it up. We don’t have all day. Find a table to stand at and put on the gloves.” 

Ella quickly found a spot near the end of a table next to Amy and across from Finn. The tables were all set up with empty plant pots and bags of potting soil. She slipped on her oversized gardening gloves as most of the other students did so as well. A group of Slytherin students were too busy poking fun of an awkward boy who had robes too long and had tripped and knocked over a bag of potting soil. They were laughing and had yet to put on their gloves. 

“You there?” Rosier pointed at them with a roll of his eyes. “You three, what are your names?” 

“I’m Harvey Lestrange, sir,” The leader of the Slytherin boys spoke up, almost sounding respectful but not quite pulling it off. “My friend here is Erik Nott. The oaf who spilled your potting soil...well I don’t know his name.” Harvey rattled off with a grin. 

“Well then Harvey, you and Erik shall move to a different table and leave the nameless oaf to pick up his own mess,” the professor told them without emotion. 

The Slytherin students started to laugh at the plight of the clumsy student and the way their teacher had done nothing to support him. 

“I will not tolerate frivolous laughter in my classroom,” Rosier spoke up, immediately ending the Slytherin’s amusement. He handed out the last of the gloves and then went to the boy who was still trying to clean up potting soil with his hands. Rosier passed him the empty cardboard box. “You’ll find it’s easier with this.” 

“Th-thank you sir,” the boy said, trying to hide that he was nearly crying. 

Rosier gave a brief nod in response and then turned and marched to the end of the greenhouse to face his class. “Good morning students. I am Professor Rosier, your Herbology teacher. To begin with I must remind you that although Herbology is a study of magic, it also a science. That is why today we will planting ordinary plants without the use of magic. I trust most of you were taught science in one of our abysmal public schools. Does anyone know what photosynthesis is?” 

A Ravenclaw girl raised her hand and recited a definition. “The process by which plants and other organisms use sunlight to synthesize food from carbon dioxide and water.” 

“That is correct. What is your name?” Rosier asked. 

“Phoebe Hawkins.” 

“Thank you Miss Hawkins. Moving on, today we will be planting Sage. It is a useful herb in healing potions and in culinary arts. Sage grows as any other plant, in soil with sunlight and water. I believe one of you has a box filled with potting soil by now. If you could bring it here, I will make use of it.” Rosier nodded towards the boy who had finally cleaned up his mess. 

Unfortunately for the young lad, his robes were still too long. He carried the box out into the center aisle and got halfway across the greenhouse before he tripped a second time. He fell right next to where Amy and Ella were standing, his face landing in the soil. Students all around began to laugh. Ella moved to help the boy to his feet. 

“Do stop laughing,” Rosier said with great irritation. The laughter ended as he crossed the greenhouse and took the boy’s other arm to help him up. His face looked muddy from dirt and tears. “Are you injured?” Rosier asked. 

“N-No sir.” 

“I did not get your name before?” Rosier asked him. 

“He doesn’t have one!” Harvey called out. “It’s just oaf!” Harvey’s words were followed by more laughter. 

Rosier spun to face Harvey, pointing a wand at him. You will not speak another word unless called upon for the rest of this class. Is that understood?” 

Harvey nodded in response. 

“Your name boy?” Rosier turned back to face his clumsy student. 

“Garret McTavish.” 

“Alright then McTavish, I would like you to go to the kitchens and ask for Briget. She is a cook and seamstress and will be able to shorten your robes very nicely so that there will be no more tripping over them. She might even give you a snack. Clean yourself up and come back here when you are finished. Be quick about it.”

Garret all but ran from the room, holding his robes up as he went. Rosier bent and picked up his box of soil from the ground. His eyes fell on Ella as he stood. She did not like being in his notice and immediately stepped back to her table. Rosier gave her an odd look and then returned to the front of the room to resume his lesson. 

***

The noon meal left Draco wondering where he should sit to eat lunch. He’d sat that morning with a bunch of first years at the end of the Slytherin table but after some whispering amongst themselves, even they had tried to avoid him. He entered the great hall and stood back and watched as everyone began to take their usual seats. Two Slytherin girls weren’t seated yet. They seemed to be arguing. From the far side of the room it took him a moment to realize that the girls were Daphne and Astoria Greengrass. He had known both girls since childhood. Their family lived not so far away from his own hand had been sent over to play with him as children. It had been years since those playdates. Some part of him wished he could go back to that time. Everything had been simpler then. 

The two sisters ended their argument and Astoria marched away with her arms crossed in anger. She was heading in his direction, towards the door most likely and not towards him. Draco stepped to the side of the wide doorway to give her space but he didn’t enter the hall yet, he still didn’t know where to go. Astoria reached him and went right past him to exit the hall. He heard her footsteps as she stopped and then turned back. 

“Draco?” Astoria stood before him looking a little worried. “Are you going to eat?” 

“I guess I’ll have to,” he said, non commitally.

“You don’t know where to sit,” She said with realization. 

“No, no, I’m just not that hungry,” he lied, not wanting her to know how difficult this had become. 

She gave him a look and shook her head. “No, I heard that they voted not to talk to you. That has to make it difficult to know where to sit at meals.” 

“I don’t care what they think,” Draco told her but the lie lacked conviction. 

“I wasn’t going to eat lunch. I lost my appetite after arguing with Daphne. But now I’ve changed my mind. Come and sit with me?” 

Draco breathed a sigh of relief and followed her to the table. Daphne glared at them as they took their seats. Draco found that he was starving. He hadn’t really eaten much since he’d arrived at school. Anxiety had probably been a factor in that. He took a third helping of food and Astoria placed a hand on his. 

“Draco, slow down. You won’t have to skip meals after this. I’ll sit with you next time,” she assured him. 

“Why would you do that?” he asked, biting back his anger at having to rely on her. 

“Remember when we played hide and seek in Malfoy Manor?” 

“I remember. You always hid in the dungeons, every time,” he said with half a smile. 

“I hid there because Daphne made me. I was afraid of the dungeons and she thought it was funny to make me go there. But I learned not to be afraid because I knew you would always find me. I think now it’s time for someone to find you.” 

Draco swallowed back his emotion. “Thanks Astoria.” 

She smiled a little and squeezed his hand. 

“What were you and Daphne fighting about just now?” he asked her. 

“It’s a long story,” she told him. 

“It’s not like I don’t have time to listen,” he shrugged. 

“I will tell you tonight then. Meet me in the common room?” 

“I’ll be there,” Draco agreed.


	7. Chapter 7

Ella could not focus on her homework that evening. She sat in the Hufflepuff common room with a book in her lap and simply could not make herself read it. All she could think about was the owl she had received that evening. The letter had been brief and to the point. 

Ella, your father was placed in hospital today with a heart condition. I will send more news soon.   
Love Mother. 

Her friends had tried to assure her that all would be well, They didn’t understand. Her father was an old man, old enough to be their grandfather. This could all turn out very badly. She didn’t really accomplish much of anything when it came to her homework. After an hour she left the common room and went outside for a run, as a fox. 

***

Draco sat in the Slytherin common room reading and keeping to himself. He wondered if Astoria would be true to her word and come and see him or not. He wouldn’t really blame her if she didn’t. None of the Slytherins would be happy to see her talking to him. It might even cause another argument with Daphne.Draco didn’t really want that but he didn’t want to be alone either. When she finally did come to him he had almost given in to dispair. 

“Sorry I took so long,” she said kindly as she sat down next to him on the sofa. “I was actually in the lavatory crying for a while but I think that’s all sorted out now.” 

“You were crying? Was it because of your sister?” he asked, finding he was more concerned than he had expected to be. 

Astoria nodded. “In a way, yes.” 

Before she could give an explanation two Slytherin girls from her year wandered past whispering and giggling at the sight of them sitting together. 

“If you sit here for long, you’ll likely not have many friends left by the end of the week,” Draco warned her. 

“I think that’s bound to happen anyway given how my day has gone,” she said a little crisply. 

“You’re not just talking about associating with me?” Draco asked with realization. 

She shook her head. “No. Not you.” Astoria bit her lip as tears came to her eyes. “I think my family hates me now and if Daphne has her way, the rest of Slytherin House will soon hate me too.” 

“I can’t imagine why anyone would hate you,” Draco told her truthfully. Astoria was kind and graceful and well mannered and beautiful. There was no reason to dislike her. Some might find her boring he supposed but not at all worthy of hatred. 

“I was ill this past summer Draco. I spent most of my vacation in the hospital. While I was there, I met someone,” she explained. “Someone my family did not approve of.” 

“What happened?” Draco asked, unsure what she was talking about. Was this guy on the wrong side of the war or something? 

“It’s lonely in the hospital. I spent a lot of days alone. Father had his work and Mother and Daphne had already made summer plans before I fell ill. I told them not to cancel on my account so they didn’t. For the first three weeks I didn’t talk to anyone who wasn’t hospital staff. I ate a little when I could manage to keep food down and I slept. Nothing more. Then he checked in, Anton Keslov. He and his family were visiting London from Moscow and Anton had gotten run over by some muggles car. He was badly injured and ended up in the room across from mine. His family had only planned to stay in London a few days and couldn’t afford to stay for his entire recovery. So they went home to Moscow while he healed. And after that I wasn’t lonely anymore.” 

“And your family doesn’t approve? I don’t understand why?” Draco said, having not heard anything in her story that explained it. 

“Anton is Muggleborn. Neither of his parents were aware of magic until he got his letter for Durmstrang. They also are not the least bit wealthy. His father teaches Mathematics at a muggle school and his mother answers the telephone in a medical office. They are respectable occupations but not affluent ones. I didn’t care about any of that. I only cared that the loneliness was finally lifted. Anton and I would sit in the cafeteria and play card games. We would hide from the staff when they came to give us our healing potions, as a joke. He told me about his brother who died three years ago and I told him about the curse that caused my illness in the first place. I’ve never been good at making friends. Perhaps I was too reserved and people here at Hogwarts think me snobbish. I think I may have even been snobbish with him at first too but he pushed past it because he was as lonely as I was and in the end proved himself to be the best friend I’ve ever had.” 

“That’s what you and Daphne were fighting about. About Anton?” Draco asked. He said nothing about her friendship with this muggleborn. If he voiced his disapproval he would likely lose her friendship and that was not something he could afford right then. 

“Yes, but it gets complicated. He got released from the hospital a few days before I did. Daphne came to visit me that day, one of her three visits the entire summer. She caught him giving me a kiss goodbye.”

Draco raised an eyebrow but said nothing to that. 

“It was a moment of sentiment, nothing more,” she said defensively. “Anton was a friend. At least that’s how I saw him. I didn’t know his feelings were different than mine at all until this morning. I went to Daphne’s room to borrow one of her sweaters. She and I have always borrowed each others things. Daphne wasn’t there so I opened her dresser and I found a letter from Anton, addressed to our house, to me. He wrote about his true feelings and asked me to consider if I felt the same. I haven’t sent a reply yet. The first thing I did was go and confront my sister. I wanted to know why she had kept his letter from me. She told me she had planned to burn it, for my own good. She told me that she’d already informed our parents of my shameful little affair...I got an owl from my Father just an hour ago…” Astoria wiped away a few stray tears. 

“He must be pretty angry,” Draco guessed. The Greengrass family cared about pureblood status as much as the Malfoys did. 

“Yes. He says he will now be monitoring my correspondence so he’ll know if I am sending love letters to mudbloods.” 

“That’s harsh,” Draco said. 

“I wouldn’t have sent him love letters anyway. He was a friend. My family can’t even accept that. It isn’t right. A friend is a friend, no matter their blood. At least that’s what I’ve always suspected. I didn’t know it was true until I found myself with no other friends.” 

“Maybe,” Draco said, unable to fully commit to such an idea. 

Astoria gave him a look as if to accuse him of being stupid. “Draco, you don’t have a great many friends yourself right now. Are you telling me you would refuse a genuine offer of friendship based on someone’s blood status?” 

“Probably not,” he admitted. 

“And if those mudblood friends remained loyal to you, wouldn’t it only be right to remain loyal to them?” 

“It’s not that simple,” Draco began. “Not when you have to pick between your friends and your family.” 

“If your family truly cares about you, they’ll learn to forgive you.” 

“Will yours?” Draco asked her. “I’m not sure mine would.” 

“If they don’t, I’ll survive. I have a few friends in Hufflepuff and I have Anton and I have you.” 

“You do,” Draco agreed, deciding in that moment that he would remain her friend no matter what her crazy ideas on equality were. She would likely be more loyal to him than his own family had been. He needed that. He needed her. 

***

Ella ran as a fox on the grounds of Hogwarts until she could run no more. When she was utterly exhausted she returned to the castle and padded to the door of Professor New Scamander. She lightly scratched on his door. A short time later he answered it. 

“Ella? Come in,” he opened the door wider to allow her in and directed her to sit on the sofa. 

He went to the cupboard and found something for her to eat. Ella didn’t feel like eating. She was too upset to eat and she was too upset to change back to herself. Newt tried several different treats, he tried talking to her, he tried charms. Nothing could induce her to change back to herself. She just sat there, head hanging, unable to do anything about her current state. 

“Well then, I’m not sure what to do for you,” Newt mused aloud. “The Malfoy boy was here last time. Maybe that makes a difference.” 

Ella’s head came up. She was a little curious about how Draco might be doing. He had seemed so sad on the train and when she had seen him across the great hall at meals. He always looked as sad as she felt right now. If anyone could understand her sadness, he could. 

“You’d like to see him?” Newt said on seeing her reaction. “Come with me, we’ll go and get him.” 

Ella jumped down from the sofa and followed the Professor to the Slytherin rooms


	8. Chapter 8

Newt Scamander hadn’t been in the Slytherin common room since he had been a boy. He’d had one Slytherin friend back during his school days and still remembered the way to get in even though it had been so many years. 

The common room was not empty. Draco was there asleep on a sofa, his homework and books all askew on the floor. He awoke as Newt entered the room. 

“Professor Scamander?” Draco got to his feet quickly in spite of his sleepy state. “What’s going on? Is Ella alright?” 

“She seems to be having a little difficulty changing back to herself. Since you presence seemed to make a difference last time I thought I’d bring her here,” Newt explained. 

“I doubt it was anything to do with me,” Draco told him, sitting back down on the sofa. “Maybe she’s just having an off day.” 

Newt took his own seat in a chair across from Draco. “Let’s wait a moment and see.” 

Ella climbed up onto the sofa where Draco sat and curled up at the opposite end. She did not change back to her true form but in moments was fast asleep. 

“I don’t think she’s changing back Professor,” Draco said, wondering if his teacher planned on sitting in the common room all night. 

“It appears not but at least she is no longer sad.” Newt said thoughtfully. “You, on the other hand are only a little less sad than you were yesterday.” 

“I’m not...what makes you think I’m sad?” 

“Your eyes. They look like a puppy’s eyes when someone just kicked him,” Newt told him. 

“Thanks,” Draco said, not caring for the description. 

“I meant no insult,” Newt clarified. “Besides, it would be a little strange if you weren’t sad given everything that happened to you last year and the way your classmates have responded to it this year.” 

“What do you know about it?” Draco asked, trying not to sound antagonistic and failing in the effort. 

“I know that the Malfoy family sided with Voldemort and then did not see that choice through to the end. I know that your friends have been avoiding you. It can not be easy for you. I imagine you might have preferred not to return to school this year.” 

“It’s not like I had a choice,” Draco muttered. 

“We always have a choice. You are of age. You might have defied your family and found a job instead.” 

“Doing what? Something that would barely pay enough wages for a decent place to live? No, I had to finish school or live in poverty.” 

“There you have it then. You did decide to return to school. No one made you do it.” 

“I suppose when you put it that way…” Draco conceded. “But that doesn’t mean I want to be here. It’s not like last year.” 

“No, it never is,” Newt agreed thoughtfully. “I didn’t really want to be here either. I made a choice to come all the same and every day I must decide that I will not allow myself to be miserable.” 

“That’s a nice sentiment,” Draco said, slightly annoyed. 

“Not really. It’s just one of those things wise old men are expected to say. The truth is, I didn’t belong at Hogwarts back when I was a schoolboy and nothing has happened to change that after all these years. I was always strange, always an outcast. You get used to it. You learn to be happy with the few people who do accept you in spite of it all.” 

“I’m not strange,” Draco argued. “That’s not an issue I’m having.” 

“So you have more friends than the odd and eccentric students do?” 

“I have one friend,” Draco admitted, his thoughts on Astoria. “Maybe two,” he looked down at Ella asleep on the far end of the sofa. 

“Then hang on to them. You’ll be alright.” 

“I hope you’re right, sir,” Draco said rather absently. 

On the far end of the sofa Ella began to change back into her human self. 

“There now, I knew you could do it,” Newt said with a smile. 

“But why here?” Draco asked, curious. 

Ella did not reply to the question. She had begun crying and was too busy trying to wipe away her tears and end her weeping. 

“Ella?” Newt asked her with concern. 

“Everyone here is so happy!” she sobbed the words. “It makes me feel like I’m not allowed to be sad.” 

“You are allowed to be sad and not just here or in the presence of Draco,” Newt told her gently. “What is it that’s making you cry?” 

“My father...he is in hospital...and I don’t know if he is dying or if he will recover…”

Newt nodded, getting to his feet and grabbing his cane. “Then we will go send a message right now and find out the truth of it.” 

Newt and Ella headed for the door and Draco stood and watched them as they made their way out. “Professor?” he called after them. “Perhaps I should join you?” 

Newt stopped short and looked down at Ella. She had glanced back at Draco with hope in her eyes. “Yes, perhaps you should.” 

The three of them left the Slytherin common room to learn what had happened to Ella’s father


End file.
